alpaca
/æl'pækə/
Definition
- Noun:
- A domesticated South American mammal: The alpaca is a domesticated species of camelid, closely related to the llama, vicuña, and guanaco. It is primarily bred for its soft, luxurious fleece.
- The wool or fleece from this animal: This refers to the fiber sheared from the alpaca, known for being soft, warm, lightweight, and hypoallergenic.
- A fabric made from this wool: This is a type of textile or cloth manufactured using alpaca fiber, often noted for its silky sheen and warmth.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Animal):
- The alpaca is smaller and has finer fleece than the llama.
- We saw a herd of alpacas grazing in the Andes mountains.
- Noun (Wool/Fiber):
- This sweater is made from 100% baby alpaca, so it's incredibly soft.
- Alpaca is a popular choice for high-quality yarn.
- Noun (Fabric):
- Her coat was made of a beautiful, warm alpaca.
- The designer specializes in garments using luxurious alpaca.
Advanced Usage
- "Alpaca fleece/wool": Specifies the fiber material.
- Alpaca wool is often compared to cashmere for its softness.
- "Suri alpaca" vs. "Huacaya alpaca": Refers to the two main breeds, distinguished by their fleece type. Suri alpacas have long, silky, dreadlock-like fibers, while Huacaya alpacas have a denser, crimped, and woolly fleece.
- Huacaya alpacas are more common than Suri alpacas.
Variants and Related Words
- Alpaca can function as a noun modifier (attributive noun).
- An alpaca farm. An alpaca sweater.
- Llama (n): A larger, related camelid, often used as a pack animal.
- Vicuña (n): A wild, protected camelid with very fine and expensive fleece.
- Guanaco (n): The wild ancestor of the llama.
Synonyms
- For the animal: (None are perfect synonyms, but related animals include) llama, camelid.
- For the wool/fabric: (Descriptive terms) luxury fiber, specialty wool.
Related Phrases
- Alpaca blend: A fabric or yarn that mixes alpaca fiber with other materials like wool or acrylic.
- This scarf is an alpaca blend, so it's warm but more affordable.
Noun
-
domesticated llama with long silky fleece; believed to be a domesticated variety of the guanaco
-
a thin glossy fabric made of the wool of the Lama pacos, or made of a rayon or cotton imitation of that wool
-
wool of the alpaca
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